Thousands rally to support striking bin workers

Unions from across the country came to Birmingham to support striking bin workers

Thousands of people have gathered in Birmingham in support of striking bin workers.

Union members from across the country took part in a march across the city centre on Saturday as members of Unite continue to take industrial action.

Workers started an all-out strike more than six months ago in a dispute over pay and plans to downgrade some job roles.

A spokesperson for Birmingham City Council said, while they were disappointed the dispute had not been resolved, they would continue to make regular waste collections.

Chants of "stand up, fight back" filled the air as the supporters made their way on Saturday from the Unite offices on Jennens Road to the council house in Victoria Square.

Ronnie Mills, from Castle Bromwich, who was at the demo, has been a bin worker for five years. She said she got her HGV licence and started driving a truck just before the strikes began.

"I thought I'd be earning more money," she said, "and then the strikes have affected us because they've knocked us down.

"A lot of people are not happy with the £8,000 pay cuts, because it's basic wages really. It's not fair to cut people's wages the way they have. That's why we're all here."

She said those on strike wanted to go back to work, but not for a "drop-down wage".

The demonstrators marched through parts of Birmingham on Saturday

On-and-off industrial action began on 6 January before Unite members started an all-out strike on 11 March.

In September, United said its members "overwhelmingly" voted to extend the strike to March.

The union claimed Grade 4 drivers faced losing up to £8,000 a year, due to the council's decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officer roles.

Under the council's job re-evaluation process, the role of driver is set to be downgraded, with the Union claiming 170 workers out of the council's 400-strong workforce could be affected by the annual pay cut.

Ronnie Mills (right) said she had got her HGV licence to try and earn a bit more money

Defending its job evaluation process as "fair and transparent", the local authority said affected workers had been offered other jobs, voluntary redundancy or pay protection for six months.

The two sides have not met for weeks and no talks are planned, leaving the dispute deadlocked

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham previously said: "Strikes will continue with Unite's full support until a fair deal is reached for these workers."

The first few weeks of the all-out strike saw up to 17,000 tonnes of waste pile up on the streets of Birmingham as the authority struggled to get its waste trucks out to residents' homes, leading to a major incident being declared.

Unite members have been involved in an all-out strike in the city for more than six months

A spokesperson for the council said the authority was preparing to bring in a "new and improved service" while a new fleet of vehicles is now fully operational.

"We want to see this dispute end; we understand residents' frustration and appreciate their patience over the last few months," they added.

The union and local authority have not met for weeks and no talks are planned, leaving the dispute deadlocked